In 1977, the Labor Studies program was developed at
CSU Dominguez Hills to provide Southern California with the only
state-supported bachelor of arts program in this
field.† Our program was designed with the
assistance of state and local labor leaders and was coordinated with Labor
Studies programs at nearby community colleges.†
Labor Studies focuses upon all aspects of working life from the point of
view of workers.† Emphasis is placed on
understanding the labor movement as it relates to historical, economic, and
social issues of the twentieth century.†
The Labor Studies program offers a major, a minor, and a certificate
program.

Features

Besides being unique in Southern California, the CSU
Dominguez Hills Labor Studies Program offers students a wide variety of courses
taught by professors in a range of different disciplines.† Labor Studies is an interdepartmental
program, which means that along with specialized courses in labor studies,
students also take related classes in fields such as history, sociology and
economics.† The student will acquire a
good liberal arts education, as well as an education in the more practical
aspects of labor studies.† Such courses
as LBR 412, Labor Law, are taught by labor lawyers and unionists who are
currently involved in the workplace.

Evening Program†

Every effort is made to schedule courses in the
evening and on weekends.

Academic
Advisement††

The faculty members comprising the Labor Studies
Committee are available for advising students.†
Students should first contact the coordinator of the Labor Studies
Program for counsel or direction
to someone with the expertise to assist them.†
Upon enrollment, a student should establish a relationship with an
advisor who can help provide continuity during the student's college years.

Preparation

Students coming from high school must meet the
California State University requirements for admission to CSU Dominguez Hills.
Otherwise, prospective Labor Studies majors do not need to have taken any
specific courses.† It is recommended that
community college transfer students complete† their General Education courses before
entering the Labor Studies program.

Career Possibilities

Careers for Labor Studies majors can be found within
the labor movement and in private and public sector organizations that deal
with labor relations.† Many labor studies
students are union officers or staff members seeking wider background knowledge
for their current or future positions.† A
number of these students plan careers in the personnel and industrial relations
divisions of corporations.† Others wish to
become professional mediators or arbitrators.†
Besides the careers typically sought by Labor Studies majors, a student
also might consider a B.A. in Labor Studies as a background for teaching, labor
journalism, or labor law.

Student Organizations

Labor Studies Club.† Students interested in the field can
participate in the Labor Studies Club, which organizes discussions and forums
on current topics, holds social events and advises faculty and students on
aspects of the program.

Graduation With Honors

An undergraduate student may be a candidate for
graduation
with Honors in Labor Studies provided he or she meets the following criteria:

1.†† A
minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills;

2.†† A minimum grade point
average of at least 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the upper division
requirements in the major;

3.†† Recommendation by the
faculty of the Labor Studies Department.

Bachelor of Arts in Labor Studies

Total Course
Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree

See the "Requirements for the Bachelor's
Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general
degree requirements.† A minimum of 40
units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.†

Elective Requirements

Completion of elective courses
(beyond the requirements listed below) to reach a total of a minimum of 120
units.

General Education Requirements (55-62
units)

See the "General Education" requirements in
the University Catalog or the Class Schedule for the most current
information on General Education requirements and course offerings.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

See
the "Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement" in the University
Catalog.

Minor Requirements

Students completing this major will need to complete a
minor in another field.

Major Requirements (30 units)

The following courses, or their approved transfer
equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.

Students are strongly encouraged to either pass the
GWAR or take The Writing Adjunct (IDS 397 and 398) when starting this program.

NOTE:† When
appropriate to the focus, courses such as IDS 320 and 326, or MGT 310, 312,
314, or 316 may be substituted with advisor's approval.

B.† Related Courses in
Field of Emphasis: †Four courses (12 units):

With advisement students will select 4 courses
related to Labor Studies organized around a theme or a focus such as
"labor and political economy," "women workers," "race
and ethnicity in the labor force," "labor and culture," and
"legal and negotiating skills for the workplace."† Students may construct a field from the
following courses, from other courses not used in the core section, and from
other appropriate courses with advisor's approval.† For example, a student interested in
"legal and negotiating skills for the workplace" might use courses
from Political Science that deal with the law.†
The following courses may also be used to construct a field of emphasis:

NOTE:† When they
deal with issues of work, unions, the economy and labor-relations skills, other
courses such as IDS 320 and 326 may be substituted with advisor's approval .† Courses
listed in (A) that are not used to fulfill the nine core units may also be used
here.

This certificate requires completion of eight
three-unit courses.† Students may receive
the certificate while completing a major or minor in Labor Studies or in other
fields or without attaining a B.A.

A.† Core Requirements:† Select four courses from
the following
(12 units):

NOTE:† Other courses
such as IDS 320 and IDS 326 may be substituted with advisor's approval when
they deal with issues of work, unions, the economy, and labor-relations skills.

Course Offerings

The credit value for each course in semester units is
indicated for each term by a number in parentheses following the title.† For course availability, please see the list
of tentative course offerings in the current Class Schedule.

Upper Division

LBR 411†† Contracts
and Negotiations (3).

The process of
negotiating, writing and†
enforcing a labor contract.†
An overview of the historical events that have affected contemporary
negotiation practices.† A survey and analysis of labor contracts in various sectors of
industry, including a workshop in contract writing and negotiation.†

An
integrative course to study selected topics, to develop an overview of the
field and to relate theory and practical application.† Students will
develop seminar papers as they complete an internship in a labor organization
or research an area of labor studies.† Three hours of seminar per week.

An
intensive study of an issue or a concept in Labor Studies that is of special
interest to faculty and students.† Topics vary (e.g., Special Topics: Labor in
the 60ís; Public Employees). Repeatable course.† Three hours of lecture per week.

LBR 496†† Practicum
in Labor Studies (3).

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor is
required.†

Directed field
research or supervised internship.† Training and research in the practice and policies of a labor rganization or labor-related governmental agency.† Repeatable course.††††